Mercy “Review”

Release date: January 23, 2026 (USA)

Director: Timur Bekmambetov

Starring: Chris Pratt; Rebecca Ferguson; Kali Reis; Annabelle Wallis; Chris Sullivan; Kylie Rogers

Producers: Timur Bekmambetov, Charles Roven, Majd Nassif, Robert Amidon

Running time: 1h 41m

Distributed by: Amazon MGM Studios, Sony Pictures Releasing International

Mercy – A guilty pleasure movie? Well, I had a good time at least 😀

Saw 19% on RT and, well, let’s get to it shall we :D.

I honestly had a really good time in this movie. Throw your hate for A.I aside if you’re watching this movie, as maybe that’s why the RT is that low? You’re not going into Mercy for Oscar-winning acting. It’s a popcorn movie that was entertaining and had great music. 7.5 from me at Popped.

Interested to hear more? Let’s continue.

Chris Pratt plays Detective Chris Raven, who awakens at the start, strapped to this chair. His (If you recall Minority Report, then you get the idea of this movie) judge, jury & executioner, Mercy is the A.I program Judge Maddox (Played by Rebecca Ferguson), which uses advanced technology to predict whether you’re guilty of a crime. In Chris’s situation, being guilty of killing his wife.

It’s an hour and 40-minute movie that moves the pacing along well. Keeps you engaged and even has breadcrumbs of a detective mystery to solve, leading to Chris’s execution before the 90-minute timer runs out. Is Chris guilty or innocent? If innocent who killed his wife? Go watch Mercy to find out :D.

I was going to say something, but that’d be a spoiler, so I’ll say the movie can be predictable if you’re following the breadcrumbs. But that’s what kept it from the 8 for me personally. Again, maybe a guilty pleasure movie for me, haha. Someone hated this movie, and others may not like their cup of tea. It’s a movie that’s for sure. A movie for someone like me? That’s true to be. Otherwise, a bump along the journey that is January, as we await the nominations for the Oscars! In just under 3 hours from this going live.

Love to hear your thoughts on Mercy in the comments below. Is this your marmite? You either love it or hated it. Maybe somewhere in-between. I wouldn’t be mad watching this movie again. But maybe only the 1 additional watch for quite some time :D.

Thanks for coming by, Popped for your movie “Reviews”. By time I awake, the nominations will be live for the Oscars and I’m excited…..I’m probably going to be disappointed.. 😛 that Ne Zha 2 wasn’t nominated for best animated feature of 2025.

Until then, though, happy movie-going fellow moviegoers. Good Luck & Have Fun, may your Oscar hopes and hopefuls be in the nomination by the time we all wake up :D.

January 22, 2026 0

All You Need Is Kill “Review”

Release date: January 16, 2026 (USA)

Director: Ken’ichirô Akimoto

Running time: 1h 25m

MPAA rating: R

Had no idea other than it’s an anime before entering theatre. Shall we dive in?

For those that watched Edge of Tomorrow back in 2014 think of this as that in animated beauty. A random alien plant type structure arrives on earth and dubbed by them as Darol. Awakens one day as Rita is carrying out her day collecting resources from it with releasing massive alien flowers. Too die and re-awaken the very same morning to relive the same day over again.

It’s up to Rita and Keiji to figure this thing out and break the time loop and save earth. This title offers some nice character development and awesome action. Sadly I’d like to have known more on Darol the before / after of this story which maybe could come with a sequel but it’s lacking of setup / narrative wrap up kept me from getting to a great score.

Popped score of 7.5/10. Had a solid good time with this one and it’s pretty short if you happen to have it playing near you.

With that fellow moviegoers out there within the real of Popped 😀 We come to a close on this batch for January week of the 16th. To be continued next week with Mercy & Return to Silent Hill which I’m very much excited for…..but not expecting much from haha.

Thank you all very much for coming by Popped and spending your time with us here. Love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Going to check out the titles mentioned above next week?

See you then fellow movie-goers and happy watching 😀

January 18, 2026 0

No Other Choice “Review”

Initial release: August 29, 2025

Director: Park Chan-wook

Cinematography: Woo-hyung Kim

Story by: Donald E. Westlake

Languages: Korean, English

Producers: Park Chan-wook, Michele Ray Gavras, Alexandre Gavras, Baek Ji-sun, Oh Hyeon-am

Came out last year but finally made it’s way to my area this year January 😀

Yoo Man-soo (Played by Lee Byung-hun) has worked for the Solar Paper company for 25 years. After being brought by American owners. Sadly gets laid off. Having had everything in your life to finding yourself in a moments notice as a desperate man. No other choice takes you through the journey of Yoo Man-soo going through extreme lengths to protect his family and home by eliminating the competition for the job he wants.

Another movie with a fantastic cast and great characters. This movie has you going through such lows I ended up checking the time with an hour left and mind blown there’s so much more that can unfold.

Popped score of 8/10 – This was a great movie and worth checking out if you were unable to see it in your area late last year and expanding to more markets now in January.

Appreciate you coming by Popped for your movie “Reviews”. No Other Choice is currently my highest rated movie of 2026 but what’s to be my first 9 ? Maybe its the last title in this batch.

All you need is Kill…. 😀 See you there.

January 18, 2026 0

Dead Man’s Wire “Review”

Release date: January 9, 2026 (USA)

Director: Gus Van Sant

Producers: Noor Alfallah, Cassian Elwes, Tom Culliver · See more

Screenplay: Austin Kolodney

Production companies: Pressman Film, Elevated Films, RNA Pictures, Sobini Films, Elevated Films (II)

Running time: 1h 45m

Based on a true story which is truly insane when you see what unfolds!

Richard Hall (Played by Dacre Montgomery (Not Zac Efron which I kept thinking :P)) son of Mortgage company president M.l. Hall, is taken hostage in 1977 by Tony Kiritsis (Played by Bill Skarsgard) to expose the Halls and demand justice for a sabotaged property deal.

Sometimes movies that are based on true events take liberties but it’s insane the real footage included in this title to parallel what you see recreated on screen.

Solid performances across the board and sit back to listen to a very beautiful voice over the radio as Fred Temple (Played by Colman Domingo) provides the peanut butter to a very enjoyable jam sandwich as you get dug in and take several layers of bites into the story unfolding before your eyes.

A 7.5/10 solid good movie well worth watching. I’d be happy watching again.

That’s 2 of 4 from this batch :D. What’s your thoughts on The Bone Temple & Dead Man’s Wire? Let us know in the comments below! Shall we get stuck into No Other Choice next 😀

January 18, 2026 0

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple “Review”

Release date: January 16, 2026 (USA)

Director: Nia DaCosta

Production companies: DNA Films, Columbia Pictures, Decibel Films

Running time: 1h 50m

MPAA rating: R

Distributed by: Sony Pictures Releasing

Been curious how this will perform and while still divided, my excitement continues to build

You can check out my thoughts on 28 Years later before diving into its sequel – Bone Temple!

I was conflicted between the two stories within the previous installment and continued to be within this title. However! Upon reflecting that ending and taking these installments as a series whole. My excitement continues to build and I enjoyed the payoff. Even if I didn’t realize it until the moment hit :D.

No Spoilers here but taking my thoughts on the previous installment you can piece together what elements I enjoyed and didn’t and theory craft from there 😀 Or just go watch this movie!

Throughout the journey of this installment I was having a good time. With minor elements I wont get into the rating dipped to a 6.5 and back to 7 for others. That last 30minutes gave me goosebumps and for that. The Bone Temple gets a Popped score of 7.5/10. But will it on a second viewing? Maybe this will have two scores. Stand A-Lone & Trilogy score. Loved the connecting web that brought the series together and with that the long wait for the hopeful third installment of this 28 years trilogy can potentially bring this franchise to a close in fantastic climax? Let’s see shall we!

Appreciate you coming by Popped for your movie “Reviews”. Being this is a sequel keeping very spoiler free but from my prior thoughts and what’s mentioned. I think you can paint a picture :D.

That being said I have 1 hour to get this weeks batch of “Reviews” out so let’s press on as this is 1 of 4 movies watched this week 😀 INSANE I KNOW haha.

January 18, 2026 0

Is This Thing On? “Review”

Release date: December 19, 2025 (USA)

Director: Bradley Cooper

Screenplay: Will Arnett, Bradley Cooper, Mark Chappell

Producers: Will Arnett, Bradley Cooper, Weston Middleton, Kris Thykier

Running time: 2h 4m

MPAA rating: R

Checked it out after seeing this is based on a true story. Let’s Discuss!

Without spoilers or wanting to come off as to harsh, this movie is just too long. I did fall asleep after the first hour as the pacing was just so slow. I expected something more inline with Song Sung Blue but sadly I left a little blue that this was mostly a 6/10 okay to fine movie at best for me personally.

What’s the story all about? Will Arnett (Playing Alex Novak) is facing an impending divorce. Juggling their personal lives with their friends & family ties. During this, Alex finds his purpose in New York within the comedy stand up scene. Maybe I missed the growth in the 20minutes I nodded off. But the ending was sweet, but didn’t have that emotional moving feeling like Song Sung Blue, or characters I connected with which empowered me to cheer on the character.

Love to hear your thoughts in the comments below, hopefully you had that connection and magic that didn’t get cast on my viewing experience.

Thank you for taking the time to come by Popped for your movie “Reviews”. While posting The Plague I realized I need to add some new categories to the site and thus 2026 can truly begin :D.

Happy Movie-Going fellow movie-goers :D.

January 9, 2026 0

The Plague “Review”

Release date: December 24, 2025 (USA)

Director: Charlie Polinger

Producers: Joel Edgerton, Lizzie Shapiro, Lucy McKendrick, Derek Dauchy, Roy Lee, Steven Schneider

Nominations: Prize of Un Certain Regard · See more

MPAA rating: R

Distributed by: Independent Film Company

I thought The Plague was another zombie movie. WoW did I walk into something else.

I went through a couple of stages reflecting on this movie throughout my viewing experience. A coming of age kept coming to mind but mainly, without spoilers. The Plague is a dark window to viewers on the consequences of bullying.

A great group of young actors which should use this movie for their portfolio. It’s got good things going for it. As much as it’s not a zombie movie. I liked the lens being focused on this angle of dark consequences of bullying. It ramps up and keeps the movie concise. Even a bow tie of an ending? It’s a fine movie at a 6.5/10.

Solid performances from this group of actors. The Plague focuses on a group of young lads apart of a water polo camp. The social dynamics to Ben (Played by Everett Blunck) being new to this group are portrayed very well as the viewer is new to this world and environment. Eli (Played by Kenny Rasmussen) has some sort of infection and dubbed by Jake (Played by Kayo Martin) to have “The Plague”. Touch him and you’ll get it also.

This anxiety from the ruthless hierarchy of the water polo group spirals into psychological turmoil over the summer period. The horror elements or done in away of situational and environment. Something of an intrigue is the inclusion of music almost of that of Aztec in nature.

Thinking of checking out The Plague or already seen it ? Let me know in the comments below. Love to hear your thoughts. RT has it at a 100% believe it or not. IMDb at 7.2/10. Stay tuned for a continued batch of “reviews” as we dive next, into Is This Thing On?.

Thank you for coming by Popped! For your movie “Reviews”. Happy Movie-Going!

January 9, 2026 0

2025 Look Back – “Recap.”

Something Popped started in 2025 was an early & mid look into the year. Well, we’re now into the following year of 2026, so let’s look back and “Recap” the year of 2025.

Were my top 10 predictions correct? What surprises occurred? Misses, swings & hits. Let’s get into it!

Let’s start with my top 10 predicted vs officials.

Ouch! Let’s start with my misses! – Love Hurts, seriously hurts to see this on my top 10 list when I gave it a 4.5. Ballerina, sadly, I fell asleep, so I don’t have a review of it, and never re-watched it to catch the middle parts I missed. Jurassic World & Black Phone 2 were fine movies with a mixture of good & bad elements.

The remainder were good to great, with scores ranging from 7.5 to 8.5.

So what’s my actual top 10 for 2025: (Not Actually Listed 1 through 10)

Ranking 2025 – Top 10	Movie Title
1	Ne Zha 2 – 9/10* – #1 Oscar Animated Feature
2	Bring Her Back – 9/10*
3	Sinners – 9/10*
4	Better Man – 9/10*
5	Sarah’s Oil – 9/10
6	Song Sung Blue – 9/10
7	David – 9/10
8	The Life of Chuck – 9/10
9	F1 – 9/10
10	One Battle After Another – 9/10

Ne Zha 2 came out of no where. Like, wasn’t even on my radar and seriously loved this movie and watched the first & second movie over 3 times each. First one probably closer to 5/6.

Same with Bring Her Back – Watched this twice and thoroughly enjoyed it. Was surprised placing a horror movie into my top 10 but then Sinners feels so right in here :D.

Better Man I’ve watched twice and thoroughly loved the nostalgia of the story, setting & music.

True stories were big for 2025 and Sarah’s Oil & Song Sung Blue were incredible. Moved me emotionally and tales I’d re-watch again.

Life of Chuck is one of those movies you’ll sit and ponder. Reflecting and taking in what the movie meant to you individually. A lot can be broken down by this. Love to hear your thoughts.

One Battle After Another vs Sinners are my two best picture plays. Haven’t re-seen OBAA yet but Sinners, I loved even more the second watch.

Dark Horses of 2025:

Minecraft blew up with Chicken Jockey. Captain America came out same time as Ne Zha 2. You can read my thoughts on those in their respected “Reviews”. Mortal Kombat 2 got pushed to 2026 so let’s hope it actually releases this year. Once again in my Dark Horse but I’m backing Street Fighter based on their trailers.

Looney Tunes was a lot of fun but didn’t do great. Hopefully Coyote vs Acme performs this year. Until Dawn & M3gan 2.0 flopped. With Mickey 17 not being my cup of tea but did decent. Fantastic Four faired better than Captain America but I’m hoping Doomsday is worth this recent era of Marvel :S…..hopefully….

Here’s to a solid year of movies for 2026! Looking forward to seeing how wrong I am again :P. Honestly this year has so many good movies I’d be surprised not seeing my predicted list being a little closer than my 2025 list was :D.

Next Popped Date to be end of January when we discuss the Oscar Nominations! Snubs, potential winners & my disappointment for Ne Zha 2 not being nominated based on how it’s going with Critics Choice & Golden Globes.

Until next time though fellow movie-goers – Happy Watching 😀

January 4, 2026 0

2026 Early Look Ahead

Welcome, fellow moviegoers, this update will go over an early look at 2026. Currently scheduled as of 1.3.26, breaking down month to month what’s planned to be “reviewed”. Maybe some hidden secret gems. Some disappointments? We’ll review in 2026 December to see the outcome.

By each month in bold will be movies I’ll lock in a review of, all going well. The Italic number is either a polled or a surprise random movie watch to add to the month’s reviews. Most likely, based on 2025, I’ll be watching far more than what’s here. But these catch my interest early on.

January 2026 –5 | 7

I usually don’t cover movies released outside the theatre, but maybe 2026 will have exceptions? 2025 Didn’t really have any for me personally.

February 2026 – 8 | 3

March 2026 – 5 | 4

April 2026 – 4 | 2

May 2026 – 6 | 0

June 2026 – 4 | 4

July 2026 – 6 | 1

August 2026 – 5 | 3

September 2026 – 4 | 1

October 2026 – 5 | 3

November 2026 – 4 | 2

December 2026 – 6 | 0

This was using firstshowing.net on January 3rd, so I’m sure more releases get added toward the middle of the year, just as they did with 2025 by our Mid-Year “Review”.

62 Locked in movies with a possible 92 with the added 30. In 2025, the goal was 100 movies. We ended up reviewing 140 Movies! – Crushed the hopeful 75 that I had expected early 2025! Goal for 2026? Maintain that 100, but hone in on my Oscars Nominations earlier? Any thoughts on this year’s goal to set? – Love to hear your suggestions in the comments. Fingers crossed we get accepted into the Rotten Tomatoes Reviewer <3.

Top 5 from the above list? Will be:

Avengers: Doomsday | Dune 3 | Street Fighter | Spider Man | Super Mario Bros ?

My hopes of a top 10:

Narnia | The Odyssey | Toy Story 5 | Super Girl | The Mandalorian & Grogu

Dark Horse Shoutouts:

Love to hear your thoughts on this list – Anything stick out / Missing from the list? Let’s jump into 2026 with awesome movies ahead of us. Lots to be added, I’m sure, so keep an eye on future announcements or on this update tab :D. Happy Watching All!

Check back tomorrow for a look back at what I got right, way off, or fun surprises of 2025 in the next Popped! Update ❤

January 3, 2026 0

Song Sung Blue “Review”

Release date: December 25, 2025 (USA)

Director: Craig Brewer

Producers: Craig Brewer, John Davis

Running time: 2h 13m

MPAA rating: PG-13

Distributed by: Focus Features, Universal Pictures

Hearing Hugh Jackman saying he’s huge!….next level entertainment :p

I thought I was walking into a film like Better Man or A Complete Unknown. Then I found out this is actually about a Neil Diamond tribute band…..to find out at the end of the movie…..It’s a real freaking story! – 2025 – The year of true story / true story-based movies!

From the incredible acting of the entire cast. Hugh Jackman (Playing Mike Sardina), Kate Hudson (Playing Claire Sardina), Claire’s daughter Rachel Cartwright (Played by Ella Anderson), Claire’s Son Dayna Cartwright (Played by Hudson Hensley) & Mike’s daughter Angelina Sardina (Played by King Princess). Along with an excellent supporting cast. This family dynamic and their story through extreme highs, lows, and hardships had my emotions going through a rollercoaster.

Not only the fantastic acting and characters, but Song Sung Blue has incredible music and storyboarding elements. It has a beautiful bow-tie ending, and honestly, I was blown away. I was going to skip it. But WOW! I’m so glad I didn’t because this is going into my top 10 movies of 2025.

The hard decision is whether to drop Last Breath or Sarah’s Oil. Two incredible true story movies that moved me. When I look back and think of repeat viewings. It’ll probably take the place of Last Breath. It’s hung in there since February, and that experience was Awing.

Song Sung Blue is a gem of a movie that will have you in laughter, feeling the highs of joy and happiness. While next hitting you in the gut and tears running down your face as you’ve connected and built relationships with these characters. No Spoilers. But WOW! This is a great movie and wrapped up 2025 beautifully. Popped score of 9/10!

Thanks for coming by, Popped for your movie “Reviews”. Appreciate you taking the time to do so, and would love to hear your thoughts on Song Sung Blue in the comments.

With this “Review” that wraps up 2025, and if something technically limited release came out but releases wide in 2026. Just like Better Man, will be placed * into 2026. Unless the Oscars switch that up? We’ll find out within the month.

Next post will be a look back through 2025, followed by an additional post looking ahead into 2026. Look forward to those and see how right or wrong I was. Surprise hits and movies that weren’t even on my radar.

Lastly, I’ll calculate my total reviews for 2024 & 2025 and include that in the look back. I totally blew by 100, which is insane! My goal for 2024 was 50, then 2025 was 75. What # should we go for next year?

Looking at January, I already see 8 movies on my radar :D.

Until next time, though, fellow moviegoers. Happy Movie Going & Happy New Year!

December 30, 2025 1